Sending a Message
by ForeverLilacLies
Summary: Guilt was not something he was accustomed to, but he felt it now. He had never been quiet with his weird affection/attraction he held for Rick. It was only a matter of time before someone took advantage.
1. Chapter 1

**Mentions of non-con. Not between Rick and Negan.** **Part 1 of 2.**

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Negan's favorite part of the week had always been driving to Alexandria and being able to see _Rick_. He always woke up early and made sure to shower and trim his beard all nice and presentable before making the drive out. It always put a pep in his step and his boys knew it. So, imagine his surprise when one afternoon, Negan drives all the way to Amexandria and knocks on the gate, only to be greeted by the _wrong_ Grimes. "Well well," Negan greeted Carl with a slow grin. "Look who it is. Daddy finally let you come out of that house?" Carl inclined his head in greeting, one eye fixed pointedly on the Savior. Spencer stood nearby, looking ready to pounce and greet Negan, but Carl didn't budge from his place. "Speaking of which, where is Rick?" Negan looked passed Carl, dark eyes scoping the area as he looked for that familiar scowl that usually greeted him. Slowly, the grin faded from his face as he realized that Rick was not there. That was weird. Rick was always there.

"Where's your dad, Carl?" Negan looked back to Carl, voice dropping to barely a whisper. Carl's mouth thinned as he stared at Negan, not offering an answer. Negan's grip on Lucille tightened slightly as he stared into that all too familiar blue.

"He's at his house." Spencer piped up suddenly and Carl turned towards him, a snarl pulling his teeth back as he told Spencer to shut up. Spencer shot Carl an unimpressed scowl and Negan nodded once at the young man, stepping around Carl to begin walking towards Rick's house. Arat fell in step behind him and Carl raced ahead towards the house rushing down the street as if his feet were on fire. What the fuck was going on? Was Rick trying to hide something from him? Negan's steps quickened and he hefted Lucille up. Carl approached the house, one hand holding onto his hat as he flew up the porch steps and into the house. Negan could hear a startled voice from the kitchen as he walked through the door. He saw the little angel being snuggled in the woman's arms...Betty? Olivia? Negan barely spared them a look, striding forward and letting out a loud whistle that he hoped Rick could hear.

"Negan." Carl moved to block the man at the steps but Negan easily pushed him aside, bounding up the steps. Arat reached forward to place a firm hand on the boy's shoulder but he shrugged if off, rushing up after Negan.

"Mighty fucking rude of you to send your boy out in your place Rick," Negan called out as he strode down the hall, Carl hot on his heels. Was Rick plotting something behind his back? Had Negan caught him in the middle of something? "You'd think you would have learned some god damn manner-" He swung the door to Rick's room open, ready to spew some more bullshit at him, but the words caught in his throat. Rick lay on the floor of the room, Gabriel at his side. The man looked up at Negan with wide eyes, standing quickly as if to place himself as a shield in front of Rick. Negan stepped into the room, eyes only for Rick.

He was unconscious with the whole left side of his face was badly bruised, lip split and bright red against his pallid skin. His curls were slick with sweat and clung to the side of his face. His throat was lined with molten dark bruises that Negan could easily make out as finger marks. A blanket had been pulled up over his chest, hiding whatever other marks he might have on his body. Negan felt as if he had been doused in icy water.

"He got hurt during a run." Carl softly spoke up.

"Was he bit?" Negan finally managed to ask, voice harsher than he meant it to be.

Carl quickly shook his head. "No, no he wasn't bit. He never ran into any walkers." Negan felt that unhelpful pang or relief, knowing that Rick hadn't been bit, but it also meant something else. Someone had put their hands on his boy. Someone had done this to him and had fucking strangled him.

"What happened?" Negan finally asked, voice tight. Gabriel sighed, kneeling down beside Rick and looking through his medical supplies.

"He was jumped this morning. Aaron was with him-"

Negan's eyes moved to Arat. "Bring him here. Now." He could feel his hands shaking in rage.

"Yes sir." Arat turned away and walked down the hall, bounding down the stairs. Carl stood frozen at the door, looking at his father as if he had never seen him before. Gabriel seemed to trust Negan enough to return to tending to Rick's wounds. Negan backed against the wall and slowly slid down so he was sitting and watching the preacher work. Carl never left, arms still crossed and expression still tight.

Rick's shirt had been removed and what would normally be a pleasing sight, only made Negan feel sick to his stomach. Gabriel looked up to where Carl stood, brows furrowing. "Carl, I think you sh-"

"I'm not going anywhere." Carl shot the man a long stare and Gabriel sighed, nodding once before returning to access the damage. Negan could not tear his eyes away. The bruises trailed down his torso. Gabriel's fingers hovered over the blanket, but it seemed with Carl there, there were things Gabriel was not willing to do. Whatever he had planned on doing was stalled as footsteps moved up the steps. Negan turned his head towards the door as Carl instinctively moved to block it, only pulling back when he saw Aaron approach with Arat behind him. Negan stood, setting Lucille down as he met Aaron's stare with one of his own. The guy didn't look too badly beat up. A bruise marred his cheek, but in comparison to how Rick looked, the guy seemed fine, and didn't that just piss Negan right the fuck off?

"What happened?" There was no room for jokes or asshole little comments. Not now. Now, Negan needed to know who the fuck did this and how Negan could reach them. Aaron closed his eyes, seeming to have trouble looking at Rick. His eyes lifted to meet Negan's, his hands lax at his side.

"We went on a supply run early this morning. Just him and I. We found supplies northeast of here. It wasn't much, but anything is better than nothing. We were on our way back when this truck approached," Aaron's voice trailed off for a second and Negan impatiently waited for him to get on with it. "There were six of them. All had weapons. At first we thought it was some of your guys. I think that's what they were anticipating. They knew his name," Aaron's voice was hoarse but didn't waver as he stared at Negan. "They knew who he was. Knew because of you."

"The fuck does that mean?" Negan spat at the man who refused to cower away.

"They had it in their heads that Rick was something important to you. Should have figured with the way you always act around him. They've seen it. They must have been part of your group at some point, because they called out to Rick directly. We didn't have any weapons...Rick had his hatchet, but little help that did against six men with guns pointed at us." Negan could picture it. Rick with his hatchet raised, eyeing those six men with their guns pointed and knowing that he was surrounded.

"They...," Aaron glanced towards Carl who stared back, still refusing to budge. Aaron then glanced towards Gabriel who nodded for him to continue. "They pinned him down. He fought back. Broke one of their noses... so they started beating him. They only stopped when Rick stopped struggling." Negan looked back to where Rick pay, taking in the bruising on his face. He would find them. Oh, you can bet your ass he would find them. "They wanted revenge on you. So they went through Rick. That by hurting him they'd be sending you a message. Didn't listen when I tried telling them that Rick was in the same boat as everyone else. They just wanted to hurt you in anyway they could." Aaron suddenly nodded to Gabriel who looked away, his grip on the gauze he was holding, tightening. Negan didn't like that look. Didn't like the sudden heavy silence.

"What else did they do?" Negan softly asked and Aaron flinched as though he had been slapped. Negan's sharp gaze moved to Gabriel. "Move the blanket." He heard Carl breathe sharply behind him and he fought the urge to turn towards him. Gabriel reluctantly moved the blanket down to Rick's waist.

Negan couldn't breathe.

There were bruises on his hips. Finger shaped bruises as if someone had pinned him down. Pinned him down in order to- Negan swallowed the lump in his throat. He slowly turned towards Aaron.

"And how did you manage to get out?" He stepped forward, itching to grab Lucille. "You look dandy to me. Looks like they forgot _all_ about you. You just let them-" He couldn't finish the sentence and Aaron shook his head, gritting his teeth.

"It was a message for you! They wanted you to see what they were capable of and they wanted me to...they wanted me to be the one to tell you what they did to him." He blinked once, eyes watering and Negan turned away, moving towards Rick. He knelt down beside him, ignoring the way Gabriel was eyeing him. Negan pulled the blanket back up, smoothing it out to cover the younger man. Guilt was not something he was accustomed to, but he felt it now. He had never been quiet with his weird affection/attraction he held for Rick. It was only a matter of time before someone took advantage.

"Are they still alive?" Negan asked after a long moment of silence.

"Yes." Aaron reluctantly admitted, looking away from Negan. "When they were done...they left with our stuff."

"Fuck." Negan breathed, looking from Aaron to Gabriel and finally to Carl. "I will find them."

"Good." Carl coolly replied, arms crossed and expression as icy as his old man's. Negan glanced over his shoulder at Aaron.

"Give us any information you have on them. If they know who I am and who Rick is, then I probably fucking know them too." Aaron nodded slowly, turning to follow Arat out of the room. Carl walked forward, kneeling down next to Negan, staring at his father. "Where's the samurai chick? Figured she'd be here with him." Negan asked and Carl huffed a breath, looking away from his father.

"Michonne's out blowing off some steam. Needed sometime." He explained and Negan offered him a nod of understanding.

"I get it. Her boyfriend's been fucking brutalized. I'd be cracking skulls, too." He ignored the sharp look Gabriel shot him and turned back to study Rick. He was going to need proper medical care. A proper fucking _bed_. "What have you given him so far?" He slowly stood, needing a moment to step back. Carl didn't leave Rick's side. Gabriel shuffled through his medical kit.

"We have some pain medication to help him sleep. We don't have much in terms of...some of his injuries, but we have enough to help him with the pain." Negan already began shaking his head.

"Not good enough. We have supplies at the Sanctuary," Negan spoke up. "We can treat him there." He stepped forward and Gabriel leaped to his feet, pushing himself between Negan and Rick as if to protect the pretty damsel from the dragon.

"No, no you-" He bodly began to argue but Negan stared him down, dark eyes heated and furious.

"He needs actual fucking help. You sitting here with him isn't gonna fucking cut it. I have supplies and I have a doctor. I can actually help him." He pushed passed the man and Carl moved out of his way without argument. Negan knelt down and slid an arm beneath Rick's thighs and another at his shoulders as he slowly lifted him up. Carl stepped back towards the door, staring with that piercing look of his. Negan didn't even notice, too busy trying to gently scoop Rick up without jostling him. Rick murmured softly, breath hitching as if in pain and Negan stilled, waiting for him to relax again. Rick's head lolled back for a second before resting against Negan's shoulder.

"He's not going to want to wake up in some different place with you staring down at him." Gabriel weakly argued, hands wringing in front of him.

"I'll go." Carl pushed off the door frame. He walked over to where Negan stood, staring at his father in concern.

Negan offered him a nod of approval. "I think your dad would appreciate seeing your face when he comes to. Grab him some clothes, okay? It'd be really fucking rude of my to not have some clothes handy." Gabriel grabbed some clothes for Rick, shoving them into a bag that he handed to Carl. Negan nodded towards the door and Carl walked forward, indicating to Gabriel to follow him down the hall. Negan carefully walked out the door, maneuvering Rick so his limbs didn't smack against the door as he walked out. He was slow in moving down the stairs, one step at a time until he exited the house. He could feel eyes on him as he moved, watching as he carried Rick down the street. He whistled once, alerting two of his Saviors to his presence and nodded towards the gate. The two rushed ahead to get the trucks ready, Arat hot on their heels. Spencer had not moved from where Negan had last seen him. He watched Negan and Carl approach, arms crossed and expression pinched.

"How long will he be with you?" Gabriel asked, jogging to keep up.

"As long as I deem necessary, Gabe." Negan called back over his shoulder. He heard Gabriel sigh in exasperation.

"With Rick gone, we will need someone to keep things in order." And wasn't that the truth? You get rid of the big cheese and everyone starts losing their fucking minds. Negan hummed in understanding, shifting Rick so that his head was more supported against his shoulder. Spencer seemed to perk up at this, eyes lighting up. He walked forward, not even sparing Rick a passing glance as he stared at Negan. "I can-"

"Good thinking Gabe, you put that hot samurai chick in charge when she gets back." Negan looked over his shoulder at the creepy priest who slowly nodded, glancing towards Rick in concern. Negan tightened the blanket around Rick, not trusting the asshole kid staring at them. He nodded his goodbye to Gabriel, striding out the gate. Spencer stared after them, mouth pinched like he sucked on a lemon and Carl turned towards him, shooting him a glare as he followed Arat towards the gate.

Arat and Carl helped situate Rick in the truck, Arat walking around the front of the truck to sit behind the wheel and Carl shifting down the seat to sit beside her. Negan moved onto Rick's other side, slamming the door behind him and for a moment, Rick's eyes fluttered. He looked over at Negan with sleepy blue eyes. not truly understanding where he was.

"Negan." He murmured, looking at the man in confusion. Negan couldn't even offer a sarcastic response, instead he adjusted the blanket up Rick's shoulder. He felt Rick relax against him, too drugged up to realize where he was. Carl watched him, head tilted and hand resting on his shoulder. He didn't speak, looking confused on what he would say.

"Go back to sleep, Rick," Negan murmured against Rick's curls. "You need to get more rest." Rick didn't even argue, simply closing his eyes and falling back asleep. Once he was better, Negan would ask him what happened. Ask him if he remembered those faces or any names, but for now, Negan just wanted him to rest. Arat began to drive, no questions asked. Negan appreciated her silent support. Rick's head rested against Negan's shoulder and absently Negan began to stroke his hair. The shit he had seen...heads were going to roll. For every mark on Rick's body, Negan was going to dish it out ten fold. He pulled Rick closer, ignoring the curious look Carl shot him.

15 minutes into the drive, the walkie talkie on Negan's hip buzzed to life. _"Negan,"_ a warped voice came over the walkie talkie. Carl perked up at the voice. _"Negan, I know you're there."_ Negan sighed before pressing the button.

"Who is this?" Hw winked at Carl who offered him a weak grin.

 _"It's Michonne."_

"Well, howdy Michonne. Sorry I didn't stop by and see you...and that I stole your boy and his kid." Negan leaned his head back, lips pulling into a grin that didn't reach his eyes. His arm remained around Ricks shoulders as the man slept against him.

 _"When you go out. When you find them. I want to be there."_ Michonne stated gravely, not even bothering to play into Negan's jokes. Negan hummed, nodding his approval as he hot the button.

"I wouldn't expect anything less." He conceded and Carl slowly smiled, relaxing against his seat and resting his head against his father.

 _"Take care of him. Both of them"_

"I've got them. They won't be hurt." Was it odd that Michonne seemed to accept this? That Carl trusted it and that Rick slept against him? Maybe. Either way, it wasn't a lie. His fingers itched to reach for his walkie talkie and order his boys to begin scouting. To find the animals that put their hands on Rick and slaughter them. But Negan fought it. He wanted to find them all. He wanted to look in their eyes as they died. So they would all understand who exactly they had hurt and why exactly it would be their final mistake. He pulled Rick closer, hand resting against those curls.

He would burn their world down, just to offer Rick a slice of justice. They had sent their message loud and clear and now Negan would send his.


	2. Chapter 2

**Rape, violence and homophobic language in this chapter. There is very dark content in this chapter. I advise you to read the warnings before going any further.**

 **The Shane in this story is an OC, not Shane from TWD.**

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It never was supposed to happen. Routine runs like this were supposed to be easy. Go out, find shit and go back without drawing too much attention from the Walkers. Aaron and Rick had managed to form a good dynamic as a team and scavenging together had become second nature as of recently. They had set out earlier than usual, hoping to be able to get further and explore the area more. They went on foot to avoid a herd that was rumored to be in the vicinity and after an hour or so of walking pin pointed the supply cache. It wasn't much, but with the Saviors due late that afternoon, anything would do.

They loaded the supplies in the backpacks they brought with them, Rick sliding his hatchet away so he could fasten to bag closed. Aaron settled down beside him, looking up at the trees overhead. He could faintly see blue sky between the green leaves.

"It's been warm these last few days." He noted and Rick hummed in agreement, slinging the bag over his shoulder and looking up at the sky along with Aaron.

"Good plantin' weather. Think I'll start on the tomatoes this afternoon." He reached for his hatchet and waited as Aaron stood, hiking his own back over his shoulders.

"You have enough soil for that?" He asked as they set out down the path.

"Negan mentioned brining over some mulch he had when he comes by." Rick shrugged and Aaron hummed, lips twitching at the casual tone Rick was using. Negan had grown soft on Rick in the last few weeks. Started bringing Lucille around less and less and was going out of his way to bring Alexandria (Rick) supplies. Last time the Saviors had been by, they had brought a new toddler bed for Judith. The way Rick's eyes had lit up at the sight of the pink tufted material had Negan grinning the entire visit.

A happy Negan meant a happy Alexandria and a happy Alexandria meant a not so frazzled Rick.

Aaron trudged ahead, listening as Rick followed close behind. Once they got back Aaron planned on cleaning all the dirt off himself and seeing Eric. Maybe they could help Rick with his tomatoes or convince him to let them watching Judith while they worked. A twig snapping to his left had Aaron and Rick turning only to be greeted with a gun pointed at his forehead. Rick turned, gripping his hatchet as another one approached from behind. The two men were dressed in tactical camouflage, their faces pointed with dirt and grime. At that moment both men heard a truck approach. Aaron turned toward Rick who had not moved. Was it the Saviors? He changed another glance at that man standing in front of him. He didn't recognize him, but the gun looked clean. The doors to the truck slammed shut and footsteps approached to where Rick and Aaron stood. Suddenly, there were six guns pointed at them. Rick's hatchet wouldn't offer anything against six loaded guns.

"Afternoon," One of the men greeted in a cheerful voice. He had been the one driving the truck. The leader, Aaron assumed. "Fancy meeting you out here." There was a large jagged scar etched down the side of his bearded face. It looked as if he had been sliced with a butcher's knife. "You one of Negan's boys?" A the mention of Negan, Aaron noticed the slight relaxation in Rick's shoulders. Rick shuffled to stand closer to Aaron.

"We're from the Alexandria Safe-Zone," Rick spoke up slowly, still looking uneasy as he looked at the men who lowered their weapons. Aaron recognized the clothing as definite Savior gear. Leather seemed to be quite a fetish among them. The leader nodded, handing his gun to the guy next to him.

"Haven't been there yet. Tend to be sent to the Kingdom on most pick-up days." He stopped speaking for a moment and studied Rick, hands shoved in his pockets. "Ain't Negan supposed to go to Alexandria today?" He asked and Rick nodded. Aaron felt himself relax at this. They might be Saviors and Negan's men, but they had no reason to be hostile if he and Rick were scavenging for them. The man hummed, looking curious as he looked Rick over.

"I know you. Rick Grimes...Negan's mentioned you...a lot," The man looked Rick up and down, smiling slightly. "Can see why." The way the man spoke had Aaron suddenly feeling like he was standing on pins and needles. They slow way he looked Rick up and down did not bode well with him. Rick blinked, feeling Aaron shuffle at his side. Rick must have seen something in the man's eyes because he moved as if to place himself in front of Aaron.

From there, everything went to shit.

They had no guns to defend themselves with and with only two of them, it didn't take long for Aaron to be taken down and a knife shoved against his throat, digging it into the tender flesh until Aaron could barely breathe. Rick stopped fighting immediately. In the short moment between the conversation and Aaron being grabbed, Rick had managed to take down one of the men who was covering his face with his dirty hands, making pained noises.

"Put the axe down, Rick." The man holding Aaron barked.

 _'It's a hatchet you stupid asshole.'_ Aaron thought dazedly.

Rick did as he was told, never taking his eyes off of Aaron. The man holding Aaron chuckled, looking to their leader who sauntered forward at a casual pace, reminiscent of Negan in prowl, but unable to deliver the same type of confidence and charisma that Negan oozed. He walked towards Rick, hands held out in welcoming. "Well well, when they said you could fight I didn't think it would be like _that_. You took Terry down within a second. Color me impressed, Rick." Rick offered no response, staring at the man in silence, mouth set into a snarl. The man chuckled, reaching forward and patting Rick's cheek. Aaron was confident that the only reason Rick didn't bite it was because Aaron was still pinned by one of them.

"You're not one of Negan's." Rick finally spit out and the man chuckled, pointing a finger at Rick in confirmation.

"Not anymore. Followed him long enough to watch him bash my brother's face in with that fucking bat of his." The man trailed off, eyes far away. It was a look both Aaron and Rick were familiar with. He had seen what horrors Negan was capable of. The man snapped out of it finally, turning to Rick with a surprised expression on his scarred face. "Now where are my manners? I never introduced myself! I'm Shane." Aaron watched as Rick flinched at this as if he had been slapped. Shane grinned at Rick, all sharp teeth and narrowed eyes. "You're a favorite of Negan's. He's got a soft spot for you a mile long. Stupid bastard didn't even bother to hide it." He began to walk around Rick in a slowly, lazy circle, dark grey eyes taking him in.

"Mighty dangerous for Negan to have favorites like this." One of the men crowed and Shane laughed, loud and boisterous. It seemed to echo in the forest. Aaron almost hoped that a Walker would show up. The guy Rick had managed to hit was still seated in the dirt, hand clamped over his nose. Aaron could see blood pouring between his dirty fingers and a trill of satisfaction went up his spine at the sight.

"Right you are, Dwayne. Mighty _fucking_ stupid of him." Shane came to a stop in front of Rick, grinning at him Rick didn't so much as blink. Shane chuckled, taking a step back. "Well, boys I think Rick's a little overdressed. Let's help him with that." Aaron's eyes widened and Rick instantly tried to move back, only for Dwayne to stride forward and grab onto Rick, pulling him forward and away from where his hatchet lay. The bags spilled to the ground, forgotten in the struggle as Rick tried to wrench free. Aaron heard buttons pop and Rick snarl. He bit at one of the men and Shane nodded at Dwayne who started to hit Rick, swinging his fist again and again as Rick struggled against him. Rick kicked out at Dwayne, tripping him and attempted to struggle to his feet, only for Shane to strike out with his rifle against Rick's exposed back. The crack it made against Rick's skin had Aaron wincing. The air seemed to leave Rick's lungs and he lurched forward, trying to regain his balance. Dwayne and another man were on him in an instant, reigning punches and kicks against Rick's chest and final hit had Rick's head falling back and his struggles ceasing. His hands fell to his sides and Aaron watched as he sluggishly blinked, blood dribbling down his brow.

"Hate to bruise up that pretty face," Dwayne hummed. "But I guess it's for the best." He circled Rick while Shane stood back and watched, arms crossed. Rick lay in a daze, blinking slowly up at the sky above. His hands flexed at his side as he tried to regain his bearings. Aaron could see that the last hit had thrown him through a loop. His fingers scrabbled through the dirt as he tried to sit up. Shane tutted and strode forward, planting a foot harshly into Rick's chest.

"Don't be movin' now, dear. We're not done, yet." He cooed, foot slowly crushing down on Rick's chest. "We've still got a letter to deliver to the _boss_."

"Stop!" Aaron cried out, voice hoarse as he tried to struggle against Terry. "Rick's not...he's been hurt by Negan, too. He's got as much issues with Negan as you do." Terry hushed him, practically petting his face like he was a dog. Shane waggled a patronizing finger at him.

"Don't try with me, faggot. You think I'm stupid? Negan's got blue balls for Ricky here. I'm gonna make sure to ruin it for him." He nodded to two men standing behind Aaron. They walked forward, setting their guns aside and Aaron watched in horror as the began to undo their belts.

"No, no stop-" Terry dug the blade into Aaron's throat, a bead of blood forming against the metal.

"Shut the fuck up or I'll kill you." Terry hissed into his ear. Aaron continued to struggle, staring as the first man's jeans dropped to the ground and were kicked aside.

"No, no," Shane waved the threat off before pointing at Aaron, a slow grin spreading across his face. "I want him to watch. I want him to be able to tell Negan what exactly we did to his _boy_."

"You wanna go first?" One of the man offered and Shane thanked with him dramatic gratefulness and enthusiasm, as if they weren't just about to rape a man. Aaron felt bile rise in his throat. The man flipped Rick onto his stomach and it was a testament to how out of it Rick was that he barely reacted as Shane tore his jeans and underwear down his thighs, lifting his hips up. He blinked slowly, hands still scrabbling in the dirt. Aaron clenched his eyes shut, turning his face away from the scene only to be struck again in the face.

"Keep your eyes open. Don't look away again." The man holding Aaron hissed in his ear. Aaron forced his eyes open, shaking violently as he took in the scene. Shane was thrusting against Rick, cock hard and bright red. He was gripping the man's hips with large forceful fingers, seeming to sink into the flesh. Aaron could not contain the pained noise that escaped his throat when Shane suddenly moved, thrusting into Rick with no preparation. The pained whine Rick released was so unlike his normal controlled self and it had Aaron in tears.

"Didn't he already fuck you like this, Rick?" Shane hissed into Rick's ear, thrusting his hips with violent precision. "Didn't you already bend over for him?" It was not meant to pleasure. This was meant to hurt Rick as much as possible. Rick seemed to be trying to keep it together, biting his lip to avoid crying out and staring resolutely ahead. Shane however, was not having it. He roughly pulled out of Rick and flipped him onto his back, he grasped the man's thighs and thrust back in, nearly bending Rick in half. Aaron released a weak sob, knees shaking. If Terry didn't have such a harsh hold on him, he would have fallen to the ground. Shane's moved around Rick's throat, cutting off his air. Rick choked, blinking rapidly as he struggled against the large hands. Shane dug his thumbs in, lips peeled back into a jack-o'-lantern grin.

"Oh Negan chose the wrong guy to fuck with," He breathed. "He thought he could just kill my brother and I wouldn't do anything about it? I wish I could be there to see his expression when he gets a load of you. You'll tell him about me, right?" He let up on his grip and Rick released a weak cough, breathing erratically for air, only for it to be quickly cut off once more. Shane finally pulled his hands back and went back to fucking Rick in earnest, eliciting weak noises of pain from the man.

"C'mon Rick, say my name," Shane whispered, wanting nothing more than to humiliate him. Rick blinked back tears as they rolled down his temples into his sweat slicked curls. He shook his head. Shane tutted, turning his head towards Aaron. "I bet I can get him to say it." Terry was rocking against Aaron at this point. Aaron could feel his erection against his ass and he fought down the urge to shout at him.

Rick sobbed at this, face screwing up in pain as Shane waited for him to speak. "Shane." Rick weakly let out, snot and tears covering his bruised face. Shane grinned, moving forward to place a mocking kiss against Rick's stubbled jaw.

"Good boy." He breathed and continued rocking into Rick who had remained flaccid throughout the assault. He came with a grunt of satisfaction, thrusting further into Rick as his hips rocked languidly.

 _'It's nearly over. Thank God it's nearly over.'_ Aaron thought desperately. Shane nodded to two of his men that were watching and indicated to where Rick lay. They didn't need to be told twice.

"How many times were you on your knees for him? Bet that's a pretty sight." One of the men jeered as he straddled Rick's chest. The assault continued. Terry seemed content with keeping hold of Aaron and one of the men had wandered back to the truck at some point. The sixth man who stood watch simply nodded at Shane, obviously not interested in joining the assault. That's when Aaron noticed the video camera in his hand. This whole thing was being recorded. Rick's entire assault was...Aaron wretched a this, sagging down. The man holding the recorder was beckoned forward to get a close up of Rick's dazed face that was covered in...Aaron did puke at this point, all over his boots and splattering into the dirt. He heard Terry curse, shoving him to his knees in disgust. The cameraman seemed reluctant to be there, but he continued to record as Rick was assaulted. Shane crossed his arms and turned back to watch his men, leering as he watched Rick.

"Shane," one of the men called out and Shane turned his head in annoyance only for the look to slowly smooth into something almost gleeful. Aaron weakly looked up and followed his gaze, feeling his stomach drop in horror at what the man held.

It was a metal bat. Shane took it with a steady hand, holding it out in front of him as he inspected it. He looked from the bat to Rick. The men had pulled back, watching their boss as he studied the leader of Alexandria. Shane ran a finger up the smooth metal, clicking his tongue. The look in his eye had Aaron shaking. Shane faced the recorder which focused on him. "Negan, you son of a bitch," Shane chuckled, showing the recorder the bat. "You thought you could fuck with me? Seems only fair that I fuck with your little bitch with a bat of my own." The man holding the recorder faltered.

"Uhh, Shane isn't that-"

Shane blinked, looking unimpressed. "You have a problem, Roy? We can always use it on your ass too." He swung the bat lazily, as if he were Negan. As if this were all just some fucking pissing contest.

"No, it's nothing." The man mumbled in response, holding the video camera steady once more. Shane hummed, turning back to Rick. Rick had not moved, sprawled out and bloody with eyes wide and glassy and bluer than anything Aaron had seen before.

"So I'm gonna give you a choice, Rick," Shane hummed, spinning the bat. "You let me use this on you as I please or I use it to kill him." He pointed the bat to where Aaron was kneeing, weeping weakly into the dirt. Rick blinked, not seeming to understand what was being said. He looked towards Aaron and there was no hesitation.

"No..." Rick's voice was hoarse, barely audible from the violence. "Do what you wa...what you want with me...leave him..." There was no fight left in him. Shane hummed in approval, winking at the camera. He sauntered over to where Rick lay.

"I want you to beg me for it, Rick." Shane knelt down beside Rick. He motioned for Roy to videotape Rick's face. "Beg me."

There was no hesitation. "Please," Rick breathed weakly, eyes dazed as he looked up at Shane. "Kill me." Shane blinked at this before suddenly releasing a loud boisterous laugh that seemed to echo through the clearing.

"Oh, sweetheart," Shane cooed, stroking a large hand through Rick's sweat slicked curls. "I ain't gonna **_kill_** you with this bat. Try again" Rick stared, looking so damn confused as Shane stroked his cheek with the bat. He looked from Shane to Aaron, as if a silent question to what Shane wanted from him. Realization slowly dawned on Rick and he closed his eyes, throat bobbing. Shane reached to cut his chin, tilting his head up. Rick's eyes slowly reopened and he stared up at Shane. There was a mix of exhaustion and hatred in his eyes and it had Shane grinning at him. "Again." Shane smacked the bat down beside Rick's head into the dirt. Rick released a shuddering breath, fingers digging into the foliage beneath his hands.

"Well, Rick?" Shane breathed, a hitch in his breath as he waited.

Rick spoke again and Shane moved forward and in that moment, Aaron wished that Shane had just killed them instead.

* * *

When it was over, the silence was deafening. The trees were silent. The birds were silent and Rick was silent.

Shane made sure to record everything. "I'll make sure to have this delivered to Negan." He breathed into Rick's ear when it was over. Rick hadn't reacted, staring into the canopy of trees with half-lidded eyes.

"Say hi to Negan for us!" One of the men called out from the window. "Tell him his boy was a real treat!" Shane held the sullied bat in one hand and the camcorder in another, recording the pair as they drove off. Their laughter lingered long after they were gone. Aaron crawled forward, stumbling and shaking as he reached for Rick's bare shoulder.

"Rick, oh dammit, Rick," Aaron sobbed. Rick did not reply, hands lax by his side and blue eyes staring into the bright blue sky.


	3. Chapter 3

**More discussions of rape and violence in this chapter.**

* * *

There was too much blood. That was what Carson had said after he looked Rick over after he had been brought to the Sanctuary by a seething Negan. Carlson had gotten to work as quickly as he could, stumbling over his own feet in his haste to get into the exam room with Negan hot on his heels with Rick in his arms. It hadn't taken him long to realize how bad the damage was, expression a mix between mortification and bewilderment. That expression had left Negan uneasy. Rick had yet to wake up again and honestly, Negan was relieved. He didn't want him to wake up while Carlson was looming over him. He had been planning on sticking with Rick throughout the entire checkup, but with Carl lingering at the door, he found he couldn't leave the kid alone. So, after giving Carlson his regular threats, he sat outside the door with the little serial killer and waited for the checkup to be over. Naturally, Carl refused to leave, needing to hear for himself and Negan was not about to deny him.

Carlson had dealt with rape victims before. As much as Negan tried to keep it out of the Sanctuary, there was always someone in the mix that was rotten to the core. He hadn't seen anything quite like this.

"There has to be more to it. There's too much damage." Carlson had muttered after leading Negan and Carl into the infirmary. Rick was covered by the blankets, curled up on his side. Carl had darted forward to take the seat next to the bed while Negan lingered by the door, eyes fixed on Carlson as he waited for him to continue speaking. "There's extensive damage to his rectum. Extensive bruising and lacerations...sir, no human could have done this much damage. I did find semen..." Carslon trailed off, uncomfortable with the way both Carl and Negan were staring at him. "They had to have used something during the assault." Carl looked over at Negan, eye narrowed in confusion and Negan found he couldn't look at him. Carlson's words didn't make sense. He could barely focus on the man.

Instead, he looked back to where Rick lay, that disgusting coil of guilt flaring back to life once more. "Have him brought up to my room. I'll be able to take care of him there...and bring more pain medication."

Later, after Rick had been settled in Negan's room, he finally woke up. He was still too heavily drugged to move, managing only to release weak noises of pain, eyes half lidded and limbs trembling. It became obviously pretty fast that he didn't know where he was. He had struggled for a brief moment, hands clawing at his own flesh as though it burned. Negan had never seen him brought this low. Carl had been rooted to the spot, looking all of fifteen and helpless as Negan tried to calm Rick down enough to not hurt himself.

It took another few hours for him to wake up again. Carl was settled on the red leather couch, knees pulled up against his chest as he slept, cheek pressed into the armrest. Negan had been at his desk, fiddling with one of his knives when he heard Rick's breathing hitch. He set the knife aside and turned his head towards the younger man just as Rick tried to sit up, looking panicked and confused.

"Mornin' Rick." Negan greeted softly. Rick's head turned towards Negan, eyes wide and looking as if he was fucking terrified. That dry, uncomfortable feeling lingered in Negan's throat at the sight of it. He didn't dare move and escalate the situation, sitting with his hands visible, Lucille hidden away. He nodded towards where Carl lay and Rick's eyes followed him, landing on his son. The creepy priest was onto something with Rick waking up in a foreign place, but with Carl there, it seemed to relax him enough to where he didn't start yelling. He really didn't do much of anything that Negan could have expected. Just looked at him with those sad baby blues of his.

"Why am I here?" He finally spoke, voice wrecked and brittle.

"You're at the Sanctuary for medical treatment," Negan slowly explained, not daring to get closer to Rick and frighten him. "Do you remember what happened?" Rick closed his eyes, managing a weak nod. Negan's eyes flickered away, fingers drumming over his thighs. Carl shifted on the couch, arm dangling over the edge.

"I'm going to find them, Rick." Negan whispered, looking back to Rick. "I'm going to kill all of them." Rick showed no physical reaction to this, simply slumping back and fixing Negan with a steady gaze.

"They were yours." He replied.

"I know." Negan didn't bother to argue it. Even if he wanted to claim that he had no tie to those scum. They had been his. He had allowed them to leave the Sanctuary alive.

"They wanted revenge."

"I know."

Rick turned away and Negan found his eyes drawn to the blossoming purple bruises lining his throat. Funny, how he couldn't find words. How the man who always had something to say was now struck silent. Rick looked towards Carl, fingers gripping the edges of his blanket as if wishing to fling them away. Negan watched him with baited breath and when Rick finally looked back at him, his expression was so raw and vulnerable, it had Negan's own eyes stinging. "I'm so tired, Negan."

Negan knew he didn't mean physically. He pushed off the chair and approached Rick, slow and steady until he was beside the bed. "Don't you worry, darlin'. I'm gonna take care of everything." Negan whispered. He wanted to reach out for Rick. To take his hand and hold him. Instead he sat down on the floor next to Rick who didn't bother to draw away, simply blinking up at the ceiling even as tears slid down his temples and into his graying curls.

"When does it get old Negan? When is it enough?" He asked, voice small and weary. Negan could not find an answer for him. Neither spoke for a long while. Carl's breathing became the only noise in the room, both men lost in their own thoughts. Negan sat slumped against the side of the bed arms draped over his knees and fingers could he offer Rick? What could he possibly give him that would take away what was done to him? He could find those men. Negan knew it was only a matter of time, but what would that do for Rick? For the first in a long time, Negan felt truly and utterly helpless. Suddenly, Rick released a brittle laugh and Negan tilted his head up in confusion. Rick's expression was anything but joyful.

"His name was Shane," He whispered morosely, blue eyes teary and lost as he stared out wards the dingy window. "Why did it have to be Shane?"

* * *

Later, when Carl had woken up, Negan had left the room to allow Rick to spend time with his son. He kept himself busy by checking in on his boys and going over rations. He knew it was a distraction, but he needed it. Rick's battered body was cemented in his mind and it was something he didn't want to think about. Not now. Not when it was still so raw. So, he worked. He moved shipments with some of the boys and looked over paperwork with Simon who looked at wits end with the ongoing lists.

"Sir, there's a box at the gate." One of Negan's men had approached him, looking twitchy. Negan couldn't remember his name. Negan nodded to Simon who scurried off with the paperwork.

"Someone delivered it?" Negan asked as he fell in step with the man. The man looked confused, shaking his head.

"They must have come by foot if they did. Tori didn't see anyone in the perimeter."

"Well, shit," Negan hummed in approval before patting the guy on the shoulder. "Make sure it's not some explosive. Hopefully it's something useful." He strode off with a jaunty wave and released a whistle as he walked. Everything was going to be fine.

Less than twenty minutes later, Arat found Negan rummaging through the plant seeds. He looked up, hazel eyes wide like the deer caught in the headlights as Arat rounded the corner. She gave no indication to finding his actions odd and informed him that the package had been cleared. Negan thanked her and went to continue looking through the packs, when Arat caught his attention again.

She held the case up, lips pursed. "There was a video. It has your name on it."

Negan's brows raised and he strode over to Arat, looking down at the video, curiously. There his name was in silver sharpie no less. He offered her a grin that didn't reach his eyes. "Ohh, let's hope it's a spicy video." Negan teased, pleased to have a distraction from Rick. Even for a little while. Arat snorted, lips twitching as she handed the video to her leader.

Negan was a naturally curious man and it did not take him long to find an empty room with a television waiting to be used. He'd go up and check on Rick and Carl afterwards. He pushed the video into the VCR, arms crossed as he leaned against the counter, eyes on the screen. For a moment there was only static on the screen before it came to life. Someone was trudging down the slope of a hill towards a group of men. Whoever was holding the camera stumbled for a second before reaching the bottom of the slop and lifted the camera towards the men. One man in particular was talking while three others stood behind him, one holding onto that guy, Aaron with a knife to his throat. Once Rick came into view, Negan found it was difficult to breathe.

They videotaped it.

 _"...are my manners? I never introduced myself! I'm Shane."_ The man speaking called out and instantly, Negan recognized him. One of his former men. Negan tried to wrack his mind to what happened to him, but found that he barely recalled they guy. _"You're a favorite of Negan's. He's got a soft spot for you a mile long. Stupid bastard didn't even bother to hide it."_ The guy circled Rick, like some kind of vulture. Negan could see guy leaning in the foliage, holding onto a bloodied nose.

 _"Mighty dangerous for Negan to have favorites like this."_ One of the men spoke up and Shane laughed.

 _"Right you are, Dwayne. Mighty fucking stupid of him."_ Shane came to a stop in front of Rick, grinning down at him Rick stared back in that no nonsense way of his that had pride welling in Negan's chest. _"Well, boys I think Rick's a little overdressed. Let's help him with that."_

Negan bit the inside of his mouth at that comment. Rick put up a fight, but was quickly taken down and beaten viciously.

Shane walked over to Rick and pressed his foot against his chest. _"Don't be movin' now, dear. We're not done, yet."_ He cooed, foot slowly crushing down on Rick's chest _. "We've still got a letter to deliver to the boss."_ Negan was going to kill them. Going to peel the flesh from their bones and force them to eat it.

The Aaron guy tried to plead with Shane but Shane brushed him off. _"Don't try with me, faggot. You think I'm stupid? Negan's got blue balls for Ricky here. I'm gonna make sure to ruin it for him."_ He nodded to two men standing behind Aaron. They walked forward, setting their guns aside and reached for their belts.

 _"No, no stop-"_ Aaron tried to yell only to be cut off quickly by the guy holding him. Negan couldn't her what was being said, but Shane's voice was loud and clear.

 _"No, no. I want him to watch. I want him to be able to tell Negan what exactly we did to his **boy**."_ Negan could barely breath at this point, standing tense, arms crossed and fists clenched. The sick bastards had video taped it. He needed to see this through. Wasn't it his job as 'Savior' to save those under him? Hadn't he failed that with Rick? The least he could do was not pussy out and look away. One guy offered for Shane to go first and Negan could here the faint breath Rick released as Shane touched him. Shane easily flipped Rick onto his stomach and tore his jeans down his hips. Negan didn't look away when the assault began, but it didn't stop him from shaking.

 _"Didn't he already fuck you like this, Rick? Didn't you already bend over for him?"_

Rick was trying to hold back noise, face turned away. Shane shoved him onto his back and pushed his legs up. As he continued, his hands found Rick's throat and began to squeeze. _"Oh Negan chose the wrong guy to fuck with. He thought he could just kill my brother and I wouldn't do anything about it? I wish I could be there to see his expression when he gets a load of you. You'll tell him about me, right?"_

Rick was releasing these awful choking noises until Shane eased his grip, allowing the man to finally breathe again in ragged gulps. The assault continued. At some point Negan had bitten clean through his lip. He could past blood on his tongue.

 _"C'mon Rick, say my name,"_ Tears rolled down Rick's cheeks and he shook his head once, expression screwed up as if trying to keep himself from bawling. Negan leaned heavily against the wall, breathing hard through his nose. Shane turned towards Aaron. _"I bet I can get him to say it."_

Rick sobbed at this. He breathed sharply, uneven. _"Shane."_ He whispered and Shane laughed.

 _"Good boy."_

It wouldn't stop. Just when Negan thought that it was over, it only continued to drag on.

 _"How many times were you on your knees for him? Bet that's a pretty sight."_

Three men. It was three men that assaulted Rick. Negan made sure to memorize everything about them. Their eyes, their scars, their voices. Negan found he couldn't look away. It was like a damn car wreck.

At some point, someone brought Shane a bat. Negan cursed softly, not daring to blink.

He looked from the bat to Rick the faced the camera, offering it a wicked grin. _"Negan, you son of a bitch,"_ Shane crowed, holding up the bat. _"You thought you could fuck with me? Seems only fair that I fuck with your little bitch with a bat of my own."_ The guy holding the camera fumbled, mumbling something only for Shane to quickly put him back in line. A blind panic started in Negan's chest. Rick hadn't been beaten by a bat. All those marks on Rick had been by hand. Negan knew that injuries from a bat looked like. His mind was a jumbled mess. Rick had not been beaten with a bat.

 _"So I'm gonna give you a choice, Rick,"_ Shane hummed, spinning the bat. _"You let me use this on you as I please or I use it to kill him."_ He pointed the bat to where Aaron was kneeing, weeping weakly into the dirt. Rick blinked, not seeming to understand what was being said. He looked towards Aaron and there was no hesitation.

 _"No..."_ Rick's voice was hoarse, barely audible from the violence. _"Do what you wa...what you want with me...leave him..."_ There was no fight left in him. Shane hummed in approval, winking at the camera. He sauntered over to where Rick lay.

 _"I want you to beg me for it, Rick."_ Shane knelt down beside Rick. He motioned for Roy to videotape Rick's face. _"Beg me."_ Rick's eyes were dazed, lips bloody.

 _"Please,"_ Rick breathed weakly, eyes dazed as he looked up at Shane. _"Kill me."_ Shane released a sharp laugh at this, as if Rick had made some great joke. Slowly, it began to dawn on Negan what exactly Shane had planned. Hadn't Carlson mentioned that the damage was too great to be human?

No...

Negan had always had an overactive imagination. Negan had always thought the worst of things. This couldn't possibly be what was happening. Shane couldn't possibly... _"Oh, sweetheart,"_ Shane cooed, stroking a large hand through Rick's sweat slicked curls. _"I ain't gonna **kill** you with this bat. Try again"_ Rick stared, looking so damn confused as Shane stroked his cheek with the bat. He looked from Shane to Aaron, as if a silent question to what Shane wanted from him. He looked so damn lost, as if the idea of...what Shane had planned was so far fetched and unrealistic. It damn broke Negan's heart to see him look like that.

Realization slowly dawned on Rick and he closed his eyes, throat bobbing. Shane reached to cut his chin, tilting his head up. Rick's eyes slowly reopened and he stared up at Shane. There was a mix of exhaustion and hatred in his eyes and it had Shane grinning at him. _"Again."_ Shane smacked the bat down beside Rick's head into the dirt. Rick released a shuddering breath, fingers digging into the foliage beneath his hands.

 _"Well, Rick?"_ Shane breathed, a hitch in his breath as he waited.

Rick spoke again, voice brittle and afraid but expression steely and Shane knelt down, bat trailing over the ground as he pushed Rick onto his back. _"Don't clench too much, okay babe?"_ Shane teased. Bile rose in Negan's throat. He had caused this. He had allowed this to happen. He felt his legs slowly lose strength and he sank heavily to the floor, eyes remaining fixed on the screen as Rick's legs were spread.

This time there was no silence. No amount of pride on Rick's part could have prepared him for it. The screams Rick released would haunt Negan for the rest of his life.

* * *

"I want them found. Alive." Negan's voice had nearly shook as he gave out the order to his gathered people. He stood, gripping the railing as he overlooked the crowd. His fingers ached with the force he held the railing and he fought to keep his composure. He wondered if they could see it. If by looking at Negan, they could see what he had. There was such rage and emotion in his voice and in his face that it had the Saviors shifting uneasily. This was not something they were used to seeing. This was not normal. Arat had easily taken over her own faction in the group, calling out orders to head out in fifteen minutes, prepared to do Negan's bidding with her usual, unwavering loyalty.

He knew he could count on her. There was never any doubt. The truth was, Shane had been right; About nearly everything. Negan favored Rick. Negan had a soft spot for Rick and Negan and Ricked fucked each other like rabbits on pick up days in a beat up RV, miles from the town.

But Shane had been wrong about something.

He assumed he won.

* * *

 **I have an alternate opening chapter that I will be posting soon.**


	4. Chapter 4

**The part you've all been waiting for.**

 **Language and extreme violence in this chapter.**

* * *

As intensely and deeply as Michonne and Rick had begun, the end had been surprisingly quiet and smooth. Michonne had been quiet as of late, expression somber and far away. Rick had watched the quiet way she was slipping away, half befuddled and half concerned. One evening, as the sun had set over the treetops, she had spoke up in a voice so soft, Rick had asked her to repeat herself. "I was with Andrea. Before the Governor. Before you." Rick turned to look at Michonne who was still seated in the pile of blankets, staring towards the window.

"Michon-" Rick spoke up when she shook her head, lips curling into a bitter smile.

'It was stupid of me. Dangerous to fall for someone, knowing I could lose them at anytime." She blinked, and Rick swore he could see something shining in her dark eyes. Rick fumbled for words, unsure on what he could say to that.

"Did you love her?" Rick asked, slowly moving to sit across from her. Michonne shook her head after a long moment of consideration.

"I wasn't with her long enough to call it love...but it could have been. Had it not been for _him,"_ Michonne's tone turned icy as she spat out the word.

Philip Blake rolled through Rick's mind like sewage and it was odd how long ago it seemed since Woodbury. Still, his face and Andrea's face would remain sharp in Rick's memory and it seemed Michonne's as well. "There's so much I never told you. I had a baby. Andre. He was my world. My little boy," Rick reached for her had, stunned to silence as she continued to speak. "Loved his father, too. Had a family. When everything turned like this. I just wanted to protect Andre. Keep him alive...lost him due to ignorance from his father. Was gone on a run, came back...and he was _gone_." She didn't pull away from Rick's gentle touch, but she didn't lean into it either.

"I'm so sorry." Was all Rick could think to say, unable to imagine the horror of losing a child, recalling that time where he thought he had lost Judith. Michonne reached for Rick's hand and gave it a light squeeze.

"The world goes on, even if yours ends." She murmured, finally looking up to meet Rick's eyes.

Form there, things continued to quietly slip away. _Michonne_ continued to quietly slip away. Rick hadn't even tried to stop her. Simply watching as she left bed earlier each morning and returned later each night. What could he possibly say to convince her to stay? One evening, she never returned to the bed and Rick wondered what had changed between them.

"There are still things I haven't been able to release." Michonne had cryptically murmured when she returned to the bedroom to change her clothes. Rick had looked away as she shucked her shirt aside, suddenly feeling like it was something he shouldn't be seeing. Something he was no longer privy to. She chose a maroon shirt that had always looked nice on her and pulled it on before Rick turned his eyes back to her.

"So what does this mean for us?" Rick asked, voice barely above a whisper. Michonne offered him a tender smile, reaching out to take his face in the palm of her hand and pull him in for a tender kiss.

"I love you," She breathed against his lips. "I will always love you. Never doubt that for a second. But I think this..." She trailed off for a moment, fingers stroking down his stubbled cheek. "It has to end." She finally murmured and Rick could only nod. Michonne walked out the bedroom door, never looking back and Rick knew in his heart that she would not be coming back.

Negan had managed to sneak up on Rick. If Michonne had been a proud lion, Negan had been the hyena, biting at ankles and cackling with glee as it chased its prey. Once he had realized Michonne was no longer in the picture, he had pounced like a hyena on the wounded gazelle. Rick being the gazelle. After months of the chase, Rick had stopped running and allowed Negan to finally catch him.

Michonne and him had formed a tentative, but gentle post relationship bond. It seemed nothing had really changed, accept the spark that had simmered away into the earlier trust and companionship they had. She had noticed before Rick that Negan was interested and had easily found out when Rick had begun to return Negan's attention.

"Negan's been watching you again." Michonne observed one evening and watched with mild interest at Rick's ears turned red, avoiding her eyes as he continuing gardening. "Looks like you've been watching right back." There was no condensation in her voice. It was merely an observation and Rick squirmed under it. He wiped his hands on his jeans and looked up at her. "How long?" Michonne asked.

"Only a few weeks now." Rick reluctantly admitted, not bothering to try to hide it from her. How Negan would walk through Alexandria with an arm around his shoulder. A silent but powerful message of who he was and what power he had. How he would blow into his ear with a teasing grin.

 _"Don't you want me?"_

"He's easier with you. He's been..." Michonne trailed off as she tried to find the words. "Kinder to us." She overlooked the garden as she spoke, looking from the vegetables to the flowers blooming. Flowers from the seeds that Negan had supplied for Rick. Rick nodded at her words, hands wringing together as if nervous on where she was going with this. "He's good to you, Rick? Doesn't hurt you?" Michonne asked and Rick felt like a teenager sneaking off with his hoodlum boyfriend in the dead of night.

"No," Rick murmured as he thought of the tender grin Negan shot him as he leaned in for a kiss. "He's good to me."

Michonne watched that soft expression spread across Rick's face and she allowed herself to relax, nodding in understanding. "Good."

* * *

Once Rick had settled in he had been quick to request a shower, and Negan had patiently waited for him to finish. Carl was brooding and staring out the window, not taking any of the magazines Negan offered him. "How are you holding up, kid?" Negan asked, taking a seat across from him.

"Are you going to find those guys?" Carl asked, without looking at Negan. There was something bitter in his expression. Something that never should belong on a kid's face. This new world had fucked a lot of things over, and just looking at Carl drove it home.

"Arat and a group of my people are hunting them down right now." Negan assured him and Carl slowly turned to fix with with a close stare.

"Good." Was all he said, his one eye flinty as it surveyed Negan's face. This was the face of the future. No matter where it led, Negan knew it would be Carl Motherfucking grimes who got it there. Later, after Rick had finally emerged from the shower, Negan had offered him something to eat.

"I'm not hungry." Rick replied, shying away from the plate of pasta that Carl was easily wolfing down. Rick was redressed in a light blue tee shirt and some loose fitting pants. His skin was still pink from the shower, his hair damn and clinging to his neck distractingly. He looked far too vulnerable. Negan didn't push him and instead allowed him to settle on the couch, a blanket draped around his shoulders. Carl had asked it he could take a shower and Negan waved him on, waiting until the bathroom door closed behind Carl before looking to Rick.

"How are you feeling?" Negan asked, feeling dumb for even questioning.

"Better now that I've showered," Rick replied quietly, gripping the blanket with tense fingers. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me." Negan murmured. "It's my fault you even got into this damn mess."Negan muttered, slumping in the plush chair across from Rick. Rick didn't reply, eyes fixed on a loose fringe on the blanket. "Baby," Negan leaned forward, trying to catch Rick's eye. "I'm so fucking sorry." Negan didn't apologize. Negan had no regrets, but when it came to what happened to Rick due to his lack of common sense, Negan would continue to apologize until he was blue in the face.

"Don't apologize." Rick muttered, without looking up, still flicking at the loose fringe. "They were the ones who did it. Not you." Negan dragged his hands down his face, feeling like the biggest piece of shit.

"We need to have you looked at again. Dr. Carlson has some pain medication he could give you."

"I'm fine."

"You're not fine, sweetheart." Negan breathed. "You're still in pain." It was obvious he was still in pain. His shoulders were tense and his mouth thin. He still moved slowly and cautiously as if uncertain of his steps.

"It's nothing I can't handle." Rick replied and Negan breathed deeply through his nose. Patience. He needed to be patient with Rick.

"Honey, no. You need to be looked at. I mean they used a fucking _bat_ on you." Rick looked up sharply, blue eyes narrowed for a long moment before smoothing out.

"Aaron told you." Rick blandly stated turning to glance at Negan who couldn't hold his gaze. He strode across the room, hand sweeping absently down his desk, skimming over the loose paperwork strewn out. He glanced back to where Rick was quietly watching him and heaved a sigh.

"It was all on the vide-" Negan began and stopped short when he watched Rick's eyes widen at him.

 _Shit_.

Rick hadn't known it was being recorded. He hadn't been coherent enough to realize. _Fuck_.

"There's a video?" Rick asked, voice wavering. Negan couldn't lie to him. Not even a kind lie. He nodded once, jaw clenching.

"I'm sorry." He managed to speak up, feeling like the biggest asshole that ever graced the earth. Rick nodded, head jerking and lip wobbling as he tried to keep himself together. Negan was amazed by how quickly he had managed to calm himself down.

"Don't tell Carl." Rick managed to finally speak, looking fucking wrecked and Negan nodded, unable to deny Rick anything.

"I won't." He promised, knowing the video would be destroyed very soon. Rick leaned bonelessly against the couch, energy spent. "Get some rest, Rick. We'll figure everything out later, okay?" He watched as Rick slowly nodded.

"Alright." Rick conceded. He allowed Negan to help him settle under the blankets, brushing a curly strand of hair from his face. He brushed his hand down his shoulder, inwardly cheering as he relaxed under Negan's touch. Negan stepped back and quietly exited his room, closing the door behind him. He leaned his head against the door, releasing a shaking breath, eyes clenched shut.

"We have them." Negan turned on his heel to see Arat standing just behind him. Her lips curved into an uncharacteristically satisfied smirk, dark eyes fixed steadily on Negan who offered her a grin. He pushed off the door, striding towards his most loyal follower.

"I always knew I could count on you. Bring 'em to the fence!" Arat nodded, turning on her heel and bounding down the stairs. Negan slipped back into his room, looking to where Rick was fast asleep on the couch. Negan grabbed Lucille and the video cassette from the counter, quiet as he could be as he snuck back out. "Keep the kid here. There's somethings I don't think he's ready to see yet." Negan muttered to one of his men as he passed to move down the stairs. He had ordered them to be brought outside because he unwilling to chance Rick seeing them. Rick wasn't in any shape to face them. Even if Negan wanted to give him the satisfaction of killing them himself, he couldn't put Rick in that position.

There was already a crowd gathered around the fence. Negan could spot the six captured men already kneeling in the dirt, Arat standing close by with a pistol on her hand. You go in with anger, it shows that you've been shaken. Negan wasn't going to give him that satisfaction. He wanted their fear. He wanted their pain. He wanted all of it. He had earlier requested that Aaron be brought over once they were captured and Dwight had done just that, even bringing along the guy's boyfriend for a show. Negan boomed out a greeting, causing heads to turn in his direction.

"Well what do we have here?" Negan asked, taking each step with deliberate slowness. "Looks like we have some runaways returning back home? Arat, wonderful job!" He nodded to the woman who inclined her head, accepting the cassette that Negan offered her. "So boys, looks like there is something that needs to be settled." He looked the kneeling group over, Shane glaring at him, teeth bared. Oh, Negan was going to enjoy this.

"Get fucked, Negan!" Shane spat out and Negan tsked, laughter deep in his throat.

"Now Aaron, I know you had a front row seat to their little festivities. So tell me, which of these fine gentlemen touched my boy? No need to be coy about it. A man's just gotta know these things, right? I want to know who exactly put their fingers on him." He pointed out towards the kneeling group of men. Aaron's eyes darted up, reluctant to even look at them. The man next to Aaron bumped his shoulder in silent support. After a moment of hesitation, Aaron nodded to Shane then to two other men in the group that Negan remembered from the video. Then his eyes moved ta a fourth man who was practically shaking in his boots. The man who had been keeping Aaron secure during the assault. Negan nodded his thanks.

He swung Lucille at his side as he strode forward, noting that for the first time, it did not feel secure in his grip. It no longer offered him that same swaggering confidence that it had before watching that _fucking_ video. He wondered if it would ever be the same again. All the men were kneeling, hands bound behind their backs. Some were looking away, shaking in fear while the rest were stiff, chins held high as if thinking they would die with dignity. Negan would not allow it.

He halted in front of one of the men, surveying them with a little grin. "You all really thought you were something, eh?" He drawled out, Lucille causally swinging at his side. One of the men, eyed it wearily. "Thought you could fucking mess with my... _things_ and get away with it?" He nearly stumbled over the words things, but he forced himself to keep it together. Not let these sorry sack of shits know what exactly Rick was to him.

"We fucking did win!" One of the men snarled. Dwayne, the one who had been as enthusiastic about the assault as Shane had been.

"Shut the fuck up." The man next to him hissed. Negan couldn't recall his name. It didn't matter anyway. Shane was continuing to silently watch him, chin jutted forward in a challenge. Negan winked at him, lips peeled back in a grin.

"You boys obviously know why you're here. I'm not gonna beat around the fucking bush with this." He extended his arms as if conducting an orchestra. "Might as well get right down to the party!" His men released sounds of amusement and anticipation, knowing that something colossal must have happened to warrant this type of thing.

"But before we begin Gentlemen, I have another surprise," Ever the performer, Negan swept his arm out to the open bay door with gusto, grin a sharp slash across his face. The men uneasily glanced over, almost too afraid to lift their heads as Negan called out.

There was something truly terrifying about watching Michonne walk through those doors, all grace and stoic poise. Like a dancer starting her final routine, she approached Negan and the bound men. Her face was a blank slate, but her eyes were something else entirely. Can something be so cold and heated at the same time? Negan inclined his head in greeting but she didn't spare him a glance. Her focus was on those men. She came to stand at Negan's side, shoulders squared. Negan offered her a grin that did not reach his eyes, but she never looked at him.

It was time to begin anyway.

He pointed Lucille at one of the men, recalling he had never seen him in the video. "You recorded it." Negan's voice was barely a whisper and the gathered crowd nearly had to hold their breath to hear anything. Michonne's head jerked towards him, nostrils flaring in disgust as she digested this information.

"Yes sir." The man replied, not even bothering to cringe away. He must have known what was going to happen to him. Must have already accepted it. Negan could respect that. It would do nothing to save him.

The man...Roy or whatever closed his eyes and relaxed his shoulders, accepting whatever was to come. Negan would not offer him a kind death. That was beyond him, but he would let him die none the less. He would be kind in that aspect. He took Lucille, fingers gripping her handle as he lifted her up. He swung it without another word. Allowing her to whistle through the otherwise silent air. Lucille cracked into Roy's skull much like hitting a watermelon. Bone gave away as his face caved in from the strike, blood pouring down his face as he gurgled slumping onto his side into the dirt, twitching weakly. Negan did not hit him again, simply staring down at Roy as he choked out his last few breaths.

"Michonne, take care of those two would you?" Negan nodded to the two men kneeling. Remembering them as the two lackeys that had engaged in the assault. Truthfully, Shane was the only one Negan wanted for himself. The rest were free game. Michonne walked across the room, looking like a viper coiled to strike. All cold elegance and dangerous beauty as she stopped in front of one of the men. He squirmed, probably recognizing the danger in her eyes, but also attempting to remain aloof. Michonne hadn't seen the video, he didn't need to. As far as she was concerned all those men that had followed Shane were guilty by association. They could all be punished accordingly. She stared down at the man, as if she was looking down at something truly disgusting and beneath her.

"No, no no-"

The first man met his end quickly. Negan wondered if that would have changed if she had seen the video. There had been a flash of silver and he had blinked, blood bubbling over his lips. His head slid down his shoulders and into the dirt, rolling away from the body. Negan marveled that it continued to blink even in death. The man beside his had dry heaved as he was coated with the other's blood, face lowering as he tried to regain his bearings. From the edge of the circle, Arat fired a shot into the head, causing the man next to it to flinch away. Dwayne, Negan recalled. Michonne was upon him in an instant, katana diving down, coated crimson as she stabbed in through his chest, missing his heart. She kicked him back as he choked out, mouth falling open in a silent scream as he fell back into the saturated dirt, fingers scrambling against the loose stone. It wasn't going to be a quick end for him. Fatal, but slow. He continued to choke out in silent agony as Negan turned his attention to the three men still living. He was saving Shane for last, this left the asshole who had been holding onto Aaron and the one asshole who hadn't participated...the one who had brought Shane the bat. He reached for Terry first, dragging him away from the others and shoving him into the patch of bloody dirt. He swung Lucille down onto his shoulder, reveling in the crack that it produced as it tore through flesh into bone. Terry grunted in pain, shaking as he landed face first onto the ground.

"Well shit, Terry," Negan crowed, striding around him in a large circle. "That sounded fucking painful. Try to keep awake now." Negan looked away from the bleeding man to the other wounded party in the assault. "Aaron, would yo-"

"No," Aaron ground out, eyes fixed on the man at his feet. "Finish it." He turned his head to Michonne, eyes pleading and Negan stepped aside, arm stretched in invitation. Michonne's jaw remained clenched as she walked to where Terry knelt, katana raised. Behind her, the man she stabbed continued to gurgle. Michonne came to a halt in front of Terry. What a fucking sight she made. Stained crimson like some angel from Hell. Terry wilted under her gaze, all bravado and creepy breathing now gone.

She stabbed the katana down, slicing through the flesh of the man's worn jeans into his crotch. The scream that escaped him was horrendous, piecing into the air and setting the Walkers chained to the fence into a frenzy. Dwayne had gone silent and Arat released a shot into his temple, not allowing him the chance to reanimate. Terry continued to wail, hands clasping the front of his jeans that had gone black with the amount of blood he was losing. Michonne eyed him for a long moment before looking over to Aaron who was looking away, jaw clenched. Michonne swung the katana through the air, splattering blood in her wake as she sliced it through Terry's neck, easily separating his head from his shoulders and cutting off his screams instantly. The head was flung through the air, managing to hit one of the Saviors standing in the crowd before dropping to their feet. The Savior in question, took out their gun and fire a shot at it, before kicking it back towards its still twitching body. This left two. He nodded to the nameless man in a silent offering to Michonne. His only focus was Shane. He would allow her to have her vengeance on the rest. His eyes were locked with Shane as Michonne moved last him, barely registering the scream that quickly rang out to his right as Michonne reached her target. The area was drenched in gore. All Negan could smell was the coppery scent and it was nearly overwhelming, but Negan reveled in it. The screaming tapered off into husky sobs of pain. Negan hadn't bothered to look at what she was doing, but he didn't doubt that she was making an impression.

Eventually the screaming stopped all together and Michonne stalked past Negan to stand at Aaron's side. Aaron was now watching Shane with a cold expression on his face, all earlier reservations now gone. The grand finale had arrived and Negan would fucking deliver. "Well, Shane. Looks like it's down to you." Negan pat Shane's cheek with Lucille, biting the barbed wire into his flesh. Shane didn't even flinch, still trying to stare Negan down and just the sight of him had Negan's blood boiling.

 _"You thought you could fuck with me? Seems only fair that I fuck with your little bitch with a bat of my own."_

Negan could remember the video. Could remember the sounds made when the bat had...Negan struck Shane in the face, sending him careening backwards as blood splattered from the impact. Shane grunted as he fell back into the dirt, half his face torn open. The flesh hung like melted wax, but Shane was already struggling back to his knees. Pride was a hell of a thing.

He would have killed Shane even if it hadn't been Rick assaulted. If it had been a random Alexandrian or another Savior, Negan would still have executed him. But it wouldn't have been quite like this. Not quite as personal. But it had been **_Rick_**. And Negan could not allow that shit to happen. Negan had unknowingly marked Rick and Shane had fucking _pounced_. Negan had let Shane slip away after killing his creepy ass brother, who fucking deserved to die by they way. Stealing from the Saviors was bad enough, but the little shit was a constant thorn in Negan's side, stealing, fighting, making creepy ass comments to Frankie. Negan's fucking _wife_. He had killed one bad seed, thinking the other would fall in line. He had overlooked that. Now, Negan would rectify that fucking mistake.

"I fucked your boy with a metal bat," Shane jeered as he struggled back to his knees, teeth bloody as he spat at Negan's feet. "You can fucking kill me, but that won't change a thing. I fucking owned him. You've already lost."

Michonne was shaking at his side and even several of the Saviors seemed shaken by this revelation. Negan grit his teeth, fighting the urge to just kill the fucker outright, but he had plans. He needed to do this right. He opened his mouth with another retort when Michonne spoke up. He ignored her, taking a step towards Shane.

"Negan." Michonne snapped and Negan tore his eyes away from Shane, exasperated and angered by the distraction. He turned to tell her to save it when he spotted Rick Grimes standing on the steps.

Rick stared down at the group of men, eyes impossibly blue as they examined the group below. Carl lingered behind, looking torn between dragging his father away from the scene or joining it. Negan heaved a breath, limbs still shaking from adrenaline as he looked at his boy. He dropped Lucille without a thought, fighting the urge to push through the crowd and reach Rick. He was covered in blood. He was fucking disgusting and that was what kept him from doing so. He looked from Rick to Shane who was staring at Rick, dazed.

"You caught 'em." Rick observed blandly, eyes scanning the carnage surrounding Negan.

"I promised I would." Negan's voice was ragged. Rick inclined his head, curls swaying in the breeze. "Rick, do you-" Negan began to offer.

"I'm not interested." Rick replied, voice amazingly steady as he held Shane's gaze. "He was your man. You deal with it." He turned on his heel, striding back up the steps, following his son back towards the door. Negan fought the urge to call out to him, to apologize for leaving him in the dark. For failing to end it sooner. "Oh and Shane?" Rick's voice was a collected drawl that had Negan's heart fluttering. Shane flinched at it, eyes darting up to look at the man who was already moving to walk back up the stairs. "Don't clench up too much." The door quietly closed behind him.

Negan was in love.

Negan took the video from Arat and nodded to two of his men who grasped Shane on either shoulder. He watched in detached interest as they secured the mouth opener into Shane's mouth, forcing his jaw open. Shane struggled furiously, unable to speak. He glared at Negan furiously an Negan waggled the video in his face. "You shouldn't have sent me this. You're as stupid as you look I guess." Negan shrugged, eyebrows raising as he did so. He jammed the video into Shane's mouth, relishing the choking noises that the other man released as the video was practically shoved down his throat. As Shane choked on the video, Negan retrieved Lucille from where he had dropped her. He slowly turned back to Shane, smile gone and expression cold.

He swung Lucille at Shane's face, smashing it against his mouth and forcing the video further down his throat. Blood splattered across Negan's shirt, along with teeth. Shane gurgled out a cry, choking violently and unable to do anything about it. He took a knife, strapped to his hip and took a hint from Michonne's earlier display and sliced it through Shane's bloody jeans, jamming it down until it met flesh and Shane howled. "Don't think you'll be needing that anymore." Negan observed and jerked his wrist, watching with detached interest as Shane spasmed violently. He wretched as Negan yanked the knife out and Negan hummed in approval, tossing the knife knelt down in front of Shane, head cocked as he observed him.

"Now, I want you to remember this moment right now." Negan rumbled, voice soft as Shane choked. "I want you to understand what choices led you here. I'm not gonna kill you. I'll leave that to the Walkers. But I am gonna make you wish that I had." He looked up to his men. "Put him on the fence." He ordered, standing slowly and allowing his boys to grab Shane by the shoulders and haul him up. "Keep the cassette in his mouth." He called over his shoulder. He would kill Shane eventually. He wouldn't let that filth live longer than needed, but he would drag it out. He handed Lucille to Arat, not wanting Rick to have to see it. Shane was dragged towards the fence, struggles weakening from blood loss. Negan nodded to Michonne who inclined her head to the doors, a silent order for him to go to Rick.

Negan accepted the silent demand with ease, bounding up the was seated on the stairs leading to Negan's room. He offered Negan a tired smile as he approached. "They dead?" He drawled and Negan shrugged. His skin had grown tacky with their blood but there was no reproach in Carl's eye. Only a need to know.

"Mostly, gonna make one of them beg for it a bit." Negan replied, wondering why the fuck this was an okay conversation to be having with a teenager. Carl merely nodded, head tipping back. "Sounds fine to me. Just make sure to finish it. I'll be heading back tonight. Gabe's been looking after Judith these last few days. Figured it was time to head back. Dad's waiting for you by the way." Carl's lips twitched into a little smirk, watching as Negan rushed past him. Negan opened his door and slipped in, closing it behind him as quickly as he could. Rick was seated on the couch, arms crossed. Negan blinked at him.

"I'm gonna jump in the shower." Negan awkwardly stated, self conscious about the state he was in. Rick shook his head, walking towards him. "Baby, I'm covered in-" Negan tried to speak up, but Rick reached him, hands grasping his face as he pulled him in for a kiss, no doubt covering himself in crimson. He didn't seem concerned, however.

"Thank you." Rick breathed against his lips. Negan reached for Rick's hand, lacing their fingers. Rick watched as he brought it to his mouth for a kiss, never taking his eyes off him.

"I love you." He murmured against Rick's knuckles. He knew it was too soon and that Rick would need time, but it was something that he needed to say. Rick's lips curled into a tired smile, thumb stroking down Negan's stubbled cheek.

"Go clean yourself up," He nodded to the bathroom, expression softening. Negan pulled away, pressing a final tender kiss to Rick's forehead before slipping into the bathroom, Rick watching him gently close the door. "I love you too." He whispered to the closed door, heartbeat racing in his chest and a small smile managing to spread across his face.


End file.
